The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-04
LORIyG PASHA'S NIECE.
WHY SHE WAS NAMED WILLIAM
A ROMANTIC STORY.
The Tall, Graceful, Handsome and
Accomplished May Nunez, the
Noted Actress.

The recent death in New York OF Gen.
William Loring, the gallant old soldier
who had spent lifetime in wars
alarms and obtained the title OF Psshs
during his service in Egypt under the
Khedive, recalls pretty bit OF ro-
nance in the fact that he left lovely
namesake behind him. This is the
beautiful wife of Elk Senator George
E. Spencer, of Alabama. Her maiden
name WAS May Nunez, but there is
charming little family romance lurk-
ing behind the "May." She gave her
hand to the Senator from Alabama in
1877 at the Church OF st. Bernard. in
Washington, where he placed a
$4,000 diamond ring on her finger.
Then they left for Deadwood, where
he has large mining interests to watch,
and where the lady has developed in
recent yesrs into a str kingly strong
novelist of frontier character.
But that story about her being OF
unmixed Portuguese pedigree is all
wrong. Her mother came OF good Old
North Carolina stock. Her maiden
name was Loriug, and the romance
begins when we charge this lame to
Nunez. The brothers of Mrs. Nunez
were both conspicuous figures in the
Old North State in their time. Thomas,
the elder, was founder Of the Will
mington Herald seventy years ago,
and died, after busy and useful ca
reer, shortly after the war. The
younger brother, William, and his
o;akarbe fouorika N, m m an ualiar ~ tho
old regime, happiest in the midst OF
danger, excessively fond of the ladies
in general and OF his sister in particu-
lar. On one of his trips to friends in
North Carolina Mr.. Nuuez, a Portu-
guese by birth, met and won this ad-
mirablo Miss Loring, and carried her
away in triumph to set off the beauty
OF his orange groves in Florida, where
he had large possessions and ducats
galore.
This was about the time the Mex
lean war broke out. William Loring,
the brother to whom the new bride
was 10 much attached, caught the
Mont zuman fever and enlisted.
Whatever hardships he had to en-
counter were mitigated by the sister 8
promise that the Fl st child should be
named for him. Alas man proposes,
but, much to his dissppoin ment, the
child was one of the kind that doesn't
count" as Mr.. Dombey remarked Of
Florence.
Uncle William recovered from the
shock and fought ahead under hope.
There were soon sym ptoms that the
cherished wish of his heart was finally
to be gratified, and under this cheerful
impression he fought so CALAMITY at
the storming of Monterey that they
pinned a Majors epsulettas to his
shoulders. After all this glorious
effort to leave name which any
youngster might feel proud to bear,
you can imagine the Majors shock of
disgust when he heard thai number
two was also a girl. All this had a
tendency to shake the mans faith in
the equ ties of creation.
The M jor made up his mind that
he could not afford to keep on march
ing into the lannon's mouth all his
life on probabilities, and SO held his
sister to her promise, that "the next
one should be named for him." And
named it was. Twenty-Five years
later, when the minister called her
"Msy" at the altar, as she bestowed
her hand on George Spencer, she cor
rected him with the remark that she
had been christsned civilian Lor-
ing"
"May," then, was simply Short for
Major, as William or Bill would have
been altogether do irop. Out of re-
gard for the youngsters beauty, the
fond old warrior grew to ido.ize his
nsmesake, and as she developed into
dashing and lovable girlhood, he
made her his special companion and
protege. He not only superintendent
her education, but took her on long
rsmbles through the Orient, and, his
particular weakness, the Holy Land,
which he; we'd for its st ring memo
RES Of the crusades. He acted, in.
dead, as il she did count, despite that
little disappointment of some years
back.
Another niece OF the Generals mar.
ried a g antlemln by the name of Mo
ran, and, during the years 1S65-66-67
they ran quite a tony boarding house
in Clinton place, New York, which
became favorite resort for Virginit
and North Carolina families who Wis
tied that city. 1t was there that the
two Num- sisters (the elder of whom
later married Mr.. Reed, and Senator
Spencer's present wife) made them
selves invaluable as dazzling entertain
ers. The sisters rendered duets with
great power and sweetness - the elder
singing strong, clear contralto to the
"Major's" soprano. And Miss May
through travel and study, was accom-
plished in numerous ways.
Take a tall, graceful figure, hand
some manners, lovely brunette fes
lures and a wealth OF glorious blacl
hair, and add to these a ready com
msnd of Spanish, French and Portn
guese, and you have "a combination
and a form indeed" They do say
that number OF the visitors were
willing captives to this powerful array
of Establishments. Among her mos
ardent admirers at that time was Mr.
A. M. Kelley, OF Richmond, Va, whit
has since figured so prominently IL
diplomatic disputes. This is the samt
gentleman who was objected to Al
Minister Of the United States by bott
Austria and Italy, but who finally
reached a haven Of rest in the inter
national court at Cairo. Mr.. Keile.
later married Miss Davis, wealthy
Hebrew belle OF Petersburg, and be
came Mayor Of Richmond, but the!
, do say he had very bad attack o
Miss May.
After the war had wrecked her faith
er's splendid fortune in Florida b.
, came North and secured an humbl
berth ia the New York postoffice
which was transferred later to tn
gifted daughter. She had a decides
taste for dramatics, and II was Will